ejoicing in a hotel over one
honeymoon couple than over fifty families with children.

But the hotel had a shock the same day. The Clutterbuck cousin had
proclaimed that owing to the inadequacy of the bedroom furniture she had
been obliged to employ a sofa as a wardrobe. Then there were more
references to Captain Deverax. And then at dinner it became known--
Heaven knows how!--that the entire Clutterbuck party had given notice
and was seceding to the Hotel Metropole. Also they had tried to carry
the Countess with them, but had failed.

Now, among the guests of the Hotel Beau-Site there had always been a
professed scorn of the rival Hotel Metropole, which was a franc a day
dearer, and famous for its new and rich furniture. The Metropole had an
orchestra twice a week, and the English Church services were held in its
drawing-room; and it was larger than the Beau-Site. In spite of these
facts the clients of the Beau-Site affected to despise it, saying that
the food was inferior and that the guests were snobbish. It was an
article of faith in the Beau-Site that the Beau-Site was the best hotel
on the mountain-side, if not in Switzerland.

The insolence of this defection on the part of the Clutterbucks! How on
earth _could_ people have the face to go to a landlord and say to
him that they meant to desert him in favour of his rival?

Another detail: the secession of nine or ten people from one hotel to
the other meant that the Metropole would decidedly be more populous than
the Beau-Site, and on the point of numbers the emulation was very keen.
"Well," said the Beau-Site, "let 'em go! With their Captain Deverax! We
shall be better without 'em!" And that deadliest of all feuds sprang up
--a rivalry between the guests of rival hotels. The Metropole had issued
a general invitation to a dance, and after the monstrous conduct of the
Clutterbucks the question arose whether the Beau-Site should not boycott
the dance. However, it was settled that the truly effective course would
be to go with critical noses in the air, and emit unfavourable
comparisons with the Beau-Site. The Beau-Site suddenly became perfect in
the esteem of its patrons. Not another word was heard on the subject of
hot water being coated with ice. And the Clutterbucks, with incredible
assurance, slid their luggage off in a sleigh to the Metropole, in the
full light of day, amid the contempt of the faithful.

III

Under the stars the dancing section of the Bea